1ST PLACE
SUN
By
Ronald Norman
What
is a sunset that seemingly begins and ends in darkness?
The
light is my friend, despite the challenges I face with clouds blocking my
light…
Poverty
and struggle share DNA, and today is not yesterday, but tomorrow is promising
with hope…
The
shelter is filled with demons, yet the angels are present and revered…
Homelessness
is not the end of the world…
What
is a sunrise to a man overwrought with regret concerning a lifetime of unhealthy
decisions…
The
inner voices arrogantly profess that losing is the only thing that I am
successful at, especially since I am homeless…
I
listen, Yet I don’t respond…
Healthy,
Confident, and always open to change remains my mindset despite the fact that it
is oftentimes strange being in a place in time that you could never imagine as a
child full of dreams…
Things
happen…
Things
just happen to happen…Life happens!
I
reside in a place where darkness continues to fall, yet the sun will not cease
to shine on my small corner of the world…
God
has mercy and grace that favors the just as well as the unjust, and living in
poverty is not a reason not to trust in the only one who gives life to all
things living…
Death
is life is death…All I have left is hope and faith…
So
what is a sunset to everydays that seemingly begin and end in darkness?
NEVER
THE LESS, THE SUN WILL SHINE, AND DESPITE HOW SIMILAR, NO TWO DAYS ARE ALIKE
2ND PLACE
By Mae Thompson
How
can this be
O’,
how can this be
Why
is there
No
place for me
Friends
are all gone
Where?
I do not know
They
promised to meet me
But
they did not show
Family
too
Where
are they
No
one told me
There
were going away
I
knocked and I knocked
Till
my knuckles pained so
But
all my knocking brought
No
answer from the door
With
friends all gone
And
family disappeared
I
trotted to the nearest shelter
Drenched
in tears
How
can this be
O’,
how can this be
Out
of all the places
There
is not one for me
Copyright Homeless Grapevine Issue #87 in July
2009 in Cleveland Ohio.